


One Misstep

by Nightimer



Category: Titanic (1997)
Genre: Discipline, Gen, Non-Consensual Spanking, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 16:51:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8409262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightimer/pseuds/Nightimer
Summary: Officer Lowe inadvertently puts himself in danger one too many times and Lightoller has had enough.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the actors portrayal in James Cameron's Titanic and not the actual historical figures. Thanks to all those who left Kudos on my other Titanic fics! Apologies for any mistakes, I'm only an amateur. Enjoy!

The sounds coming from the passengers and crew as the vessel made ready for sail was deafening to the great ship's fifth officer as he went about his final inspection of the _R_. _M_. _S Titanic_. While the other officers were busy checking in passengers or at their stations on the bridge, Harold Lowe had been tasked with making sure the last of the cargo was secured below deck, the hatches sealed, and the crew members responsible for casting off the heavy tie ropes were in position and ready for the order to cast off.

The young officer had sailed on many different ships during his career but none had come close to the scale of _Titanic_. Everything about her was grand and new. He could smell the still fresh paint of her as he made his way down the stairs onto the well deck and it's smooth wooden surface, crowded with cargo and crew.

A shadow fell over him and he looked up to see a shiny new Renault automobile suspended by one of the docks large steam powered cranes, being swung over the deck towards one of the open hatches located on the steamer's forward well deck. He took several steps back to keep well out from under the heavy cargo. Lowe knew from experience that even the most tightly secured cargo could shift and work it's way loose, to fall without warning to the deck below, crushing anything underneath it indiscriminately. Suddenly a crewman called out sharply.

"Oi! Look out!" Lowe was startled by the shout and he whipped around towards the voice. His eye's widened in surprise as he saw the netted pallet, piled high with steamer trunks suspended by one of _Titanic's_ own electrical cranes, come swinging directly at him. He was spared the choice of which direction he should dive in by a sharp yank to the back of his uniform jacket that hauled him forcibly backwards to safety, just in the nick of time. Lowe felt the breeze of the pallet as it swung past, narrowly missing his head by inches as he stumbled backwards into his rescuer.

"Are you ole' right Sir?" The crewman who had shouted a warning called down to the shaken officer from his position at the forecastle railing. Lowe nodded and gave a quick wave of his hand to show he was indeed unharmed. He was about to turn around to thank whomever had helped him when the same hand that had yanked him out of danger, transferred it's grip to his right arm and spun him around. Lowe found himself standing face to face with _Titanic's_ second officer, Charles Lightoller. And he did not look happy.

"You fool, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Lightoller snapped as he glared at his surprised junior officer. Lowe swallowed the sudden lump in his throat as he gazed up at the other officer's thunderous expression, the older man waiting impatiently for him to explain himself. _Titanic_ hadn't even left the dock yet and already he was finding himself in trouble.

"It was my mistake Sir, I was trying to keep from under one crane and inadvertently stepped into the path of the other." He tried a rueful smile as he glanced around the bustling deck. "I've never been on such a large vessel before, it's a bit hard to keep track of it all." He quickly dropped his smile as Lightoller continued to regard him disapprovingly.

"That is no excuse Mister Lowe. One of your first tasks should have been to acquaint yourself intimately with this ship, including her massive dimensions." Lightoller threw a hand in the direction of the electrical crane that was now in the process of lowering it's payload into the bowels of the ship. "Especially the more dangerous parts of her! You are very lucky that I had business with the quartermaster and was here to intervene" The quartermaster was stationed further along the forecastle deck, close to the bow where he would provide assistance during departure. Lightoller was scheduled on the bridge at this time and it was indeed fortuitous for Lowe that the second officer had been ordered to temporarily leave his post in order to relay a message from the Captain.

Lowe cast is eyes down in acknowledgement of the rebuke and nodded his head once in agreement before meeting the other officer's eyes once more.

"Yes Sir, I apologize. It was unprofessional and irresponsible of me to not be aware of my surroundings." He clasped his hands behind his back and looked the slightly taller man in the eye. "It won't happen again Sir."

Lightoller stared hard at him a moment longer before nodding his own head at the younger man. Apparently satisfied with Lowe's contrite response, and in a hurry to see to his own urgent duties, Lightoller clapped him on his shoulder once before stepping back.

"Very good Mister Lowe. I hope there won't be a repeat of such carelessness on your part again."

"No Sir." Lowe dutifully answered as Lightoller turned away and began making his way towards the stairs.

"Good. I won't be so forgiving next time. Cheerio" Lightoller threw casually over his shoulder as he ascended the stairs to C deck. Lowe had to swallow again at the underlying promise he could hear in the other man's voice.

"Yes Sir." Lowe replied mostly to himself as he watched Lightoller disappear into the throng of passengers crowding the deck railings, shouting their goodbye's to friends and family on the docks below. He sighed heavily and tugged at his uniform tie, loosening it a bit as he glanced around the deck. No one had payed the two officer's any mind, too intent on their respective responsibilities to bother listening in on his dressing down for which the young officer was grateful for. He quickly put the whole incident behind him and got back to work.

"Hurry up lads! Get those crates stowed! We cast off at noon!" He called out in his pleasant Welsh accent as _Titanic's_ crew rushed to finish the preparations for her maiden voyage. Third class passengers would soon take over the well deck to wave their own goodbyes and there was a sense of palpable excitement permeating the air. Lowe cast a wary eye around him to make sure he wasn't about to walk face first into another pile of cargo before focusing his attention back on his duties. He hoped that Lightoller wasn't going to keep an eye on him once he returned to the bridge.

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

 

It was late in the evening on their first day out in the open Atlantic and the night air was cool and brisk against Lowe's face as he walked along C deck. It had come to the officer of the watch's attention that a young lady from first class had almost gone overboard at the stern. Since Lowe was the junior officer, he had been sent by Chief officer Wilde to check the area in question to make sure it had indeed been an accident and that there wasn't a fault with the ship like a loose railing or such.

It had happened around an hour ago but due to the ship's massive length, it had taken that long before the news had traveled to the bridge and the officers on duty. Lowe hadn't minded that he had been the one chosen, since it gave him the opportunity to stretch his legs and take in a little of the night air without the responsibility of keeping a watch out for icebergs, or making sure the quartermaster at the helm was steering the correct course. It was relaxing to stroll across _Titanic's_ wooden deck and look up at the millions of stars twinkling against the dark sky.

Due to the late hour there was hardly a soul above deck as Lowe eventually reached the stern. He nodded to a couple of third class passengers who were leaning against the well deck's railing having a smoke, and left them behind as he climbed the stairs to the poop deck. There wasn't a soul in sight as he walked under the docking bridge and navigated his way around one of _Titanic's_ large capstans, running his hand along the smooth brass top of it as he did so.

At last he stopped at the railing next to the flagpole. The wind seemed more brisk here and Lowe tugged his officer's cap more firmly on his head. With the help of the light attached to the flagpole, he looked around briefly but nothing obvious appeared to be out of place. He stepped up to the railing and placed both hands on the top bar, giving it a few tugs. It was as solid and well built as the rest of the ship. Lowe stood back and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to understand how anyone could "accidentally" fall over.

"Must have been drunk." He muttered to himself in regards to the passenger that had almost toppled over said railing. He could hear the massive engines deep inside the hull as they turned the gigantic propellers of the equally gigantic ship and he could feel the vibrations beneath his polished boots. By the light of the stars he could just make out the froth of sea foam trailing behind the ship as her screws churned the water. It really was quite peaceful.

Satisfied that he had completed a thorough inspection of the area, Lowe made to turn back towards the stairs when he heard a clinking noise, like metal hitting metal. He looked back towards the flag pole and noticed for the first time that one of the flag's fastenings had come undone. The bottom of the flag flew haphazardly in the wind and Lowe cursed silently to himself.

"She must have pulled on the rope." He complained as he stepped closer and squinted up at it. Lowe knew that it wouldn't take long for the flag to begin ripping itself away from the the other fastenings and ultimately they would lose the flag. He knew how it would look if _Titanic_ pulled in to port at New York without her British ensign flag. Unacceptable.

With a sigh Lowe leaned over and tugged at the rope used to lower and raise the flag. He quickly discovered that the rope was still stiff due to it's newness and that the wenches were stuck due to being so freshly painted. He cursed again.

"Bloody passengers." He grumbled as he stepped up on the bottom rung of the railing. "Brand new ship and already they're breaking her." He held onto the rope with his right hand and clasped the top railing with his left. He tugged again. The rope refused to budge. Frustrated, Lowe placed his foot on the next rung and pulled himself higher, hoping the added height would bring him closer to the problem area.

He released his hold on the railing and leaned against the cool bars as he grasped the rope with both hands. He tugged experimentally a few times. He leaned further over the railing, hoping that a change in angle would help loosen the wench.

"Come on you stupid..." He gave one final tug. Suddenly the rope spun free and became slack. Lowe found himself without an anchor to the deck and he overbalanced. He began to tip face first over the railing.

"Oh!" He cried out in surprise as he felt his feet slip off the rung he had been perched on. He desperately tried to arrest his forward motion by grasping onto any railing bar he could reach. It wasn't going to be enough. He knew it wouldn't. He was going to go overboard.  
Suddenly, his forward momentum halted as his legs came in contact with a body.

"Hold on! I've got you!" Lowe heard someone shout over the sound of the churning waves below him, but his heart was beating too hard in his ears to recognize the voice. The body pressed up behind him and pinned his flailing legs to the railing as two hands grabbed handfuls of his outer jacket and heaved. Lowe felt himself sliding backwards towards the safety of _Titanic's_ deck and had the presence of mind to help by pushing against the rungs of the railing. The hands pulled at his waist, then they were on his arms, finally pulling him all the way over by the back of his collar.

Lowe fell heavily against his rescuer and both men went down to the deck. Lowe fell on his front and the other man fell on top of him, pinning him face down on the deck. They both laid there for a moment trying to catch their breaths. Lowe was still flushed with adrenaline over his near death and he simply lay on the cool deck shaking. After a moment he felt the other man shift and sit up beside him. A large warm hand rested on his back between his shoulder blades and Lowe knew the other man could feel his trembles.

"It's alright now,...you're alright." The voice breathlessly said as the hand patted him soothingly. Slowly Lowe's heart beat lessened from it's frantic pace to something more like normal and his muscles stopped twitching as the adrenaline stopped pumping through his blood.

"Alright now lad?" The voice spoke again and this time the shaken fifth officer recognized it as belonging to Charles Lightoller. He nodded as he turned over onto his back. High above him the stars continued to twinkle and flash. He could hear Lightoller breathing somewhat heavily beside him and concluded that the other man had been almost as frightened as he had. The two officers stayed in their respective positions for a moment more, quietly coming to terms with what had just happened.

Finally Lowe felt that he had regained enough of his composure to attempt to try and stand. He flipped himself back over, placed his hands beneath him, and began pushing himself to his feet. Hands grabbed him under his arm and helped him up onto two unsteady feet.

"Easy now, you must have had quite a fright." Lightoller said quietly as he kept a steadying hand around Lowe's upper arm. Lowe felt Lightoller grab his other arm and hold him immobile as he turned Lowe to face him. He looked up to see the older man scrutinizing his face. Lowe nodded that he was okay.

"Thank you Sir." He said simply, his voice still on the shaky side. Lightoller grunted in response at the gratitude he heard in the younger man's voice and clapped the junior officer once on his shoulder.

"Well I wasn't about to take a double watch because you went and fell overboard." He replied sarcastically as he slowly led Lowe away from the stern railing and further inwards, away from the sea.

"Still, thank you Sir. I would have gone over if you hadn't stopped me." Lowe replied as they slowly made their way along the deserted deck. They had only taken about a dozen steps before Lowe felt Lightoller place a hand on his arm to stop him. They had stopped beside one of the capstans and Lowe rested his hand on it's smooth brass surface, a habit of his whenever he passed one of the shiny fixtures, as he looked up curiously at the other officer. Lightoller was scrutinizing him again.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked as he searched the other man's brown eyes. Lowe met his gaze and nodded once again. Now that his feet were back on solid ground and the immediate danger had passed, Lowe was feeling much better.

"Yes Sir, I feel fine. Nothing a little brandy wont cure anyways." Lowe joked as Lightoller continued to study his expression. Finally coming to some conclusion, Lowe watched as Lightoller stepped back and stood up straight, locking eyes with the younger man, his concerned expression morphing into one of disapproval. His whole bearing seemed to change and while they were roughly the same height, Lightoller appeared to tower over him.

"Good, then maybe we can discuss what you thought you were doing climbing up on the rails like some sort of monkey without a single thought to your safety." He stated sternly. Lowe quickly lost his grin and stood up straighter. He quickly removed his hand from the capstan and clasped his hands behind him, a nervous tic of his when ever he was being reprimanded.

"The flag was coming loose Sir and I tried to lower it but the rope was stuck. Nothing I did seemed to budge it so I thought I could fix the problem at the source." Lowe explained quickly, hoping to cool Lightoller's ire before it turned into something worse.

"So you thought climbing over rails slick with sea spray in the darkness was the best way to accomplish your task?" Lightoller questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared hard at the nervous young officer.

"It seemed like the only option at the time." Lowe replied softly. He clasped his hands tighter.

"Why didn't you call for assistance, or simply left it until daybreak when the exact problem could have been determined?" Lightoller wasn't giving Lowe any wiggle room and the Welsh officer was beginning to see that he probably wasn't going to win this argument.

"But the flag Sir, we could loo..." Lightoller cut him off with a finger poke to his chest.

"I would rather lose the flag than you Mister Lowe." Lightoller growled as he leaned towards the other officer, crowding his personal space. Lowe ducked his head.

"Yes of course Sir." He answered respectfully, keeping his gaze downward. He hoped no one was around to hear his second dressing down of the voyage. He knew he must look ridiculous with his head bowed like a scolded child while Lightoller stood before him with arms crossed like a disappointed father.

"What you did was put yourself intentionally and unnecessarily in danger." Lightoller began as he straightened back up to his full height. Lowe glanced up at his eyes briefly before quickly casting them down towards the deck between them again. He didn't like the look on the second officer's face and a cold tingling sensation was making it's way up his spine.

"As I recall, we have already had a discussion about you thoughtlessly putting yourself in harms way. Didn't we Mister Lowe?" Lowe tried to swallow before answering but his mouth was too dry.

"Yes Sir." He answered. He remembered all to well Lightoller's earlier parting words that he would not be so forgiving the next time Lowe was careless and he was a bit anxious as to what Lightoller had actually meant by it.

"Good, then this shouldn't come as a surprise to you." Lightoller stated as he reached over and latched onto Lowe's left arm. Despite Lightoller's words, the younger man was indeed surprised and just a little bit confused.

"I don't understand Sir." Lowe replied as Lightoller turned him away from him to face the capstan.

"Bend over." Lightoller commanded from behind him as he gave the younger officer a gentle yet firm nudge in the center of his back to help facilitate his order. Lowe stiffened as his mind rapidly caught on to what Lightoller was most likely proposing. Corporal punishment had been the norm during the time of wind powered sailing but it was practically unheard of in today's modern age of steam.

"Sir, I really think we should talk about this." Lowe began as he attempted to turn back around to face the other man. Lightoller stopped him with both hands to his shoulders and forced him to face the capstan again. He left them there to prevent Lowe from attempting to turn around again.

"We already did Mister Lowe, now is the time for consequences." He answered sternly. Unable to face him properly, Lowe twisted his head around to peer at the second officer over his shoulder.

"But Sir! You can't mean to actually do this?" Lowe questioned incredulously, hoping that Lightoller was simply trying to frighten him. He watched as Lightoller nodded towards the capstan's surface.

"Bend...over." He carefully enunciated as he stared right into Lowe's wide eyes. Lowe could feel his temper rising. How dare Lightoller think he could coerce him into such an undignified position and presume to discipline him in such a manner. He stiffened even more and turned to face forward once again as he clenched his jaw.

"I'm sorry Sir but I find myself disinclined to do so." Lowe retorted heatedly as he made to take a step back from the capstan and his superior officer. Suddenly the restraining hands on his shoulder's slid smoothly down to the center of his back and shoved him hard. Lowe couldn't stop this forward momentum any more than he could when he had been falling over the stern railing, and first his hands, then his chest smacked down onto the large brass surface of the capstan. The edge of it dug uncomfortably into his lower stomach. Before he could push himself up, Lowe felt Lightoller press up behind him and lean over his back, pinning him down to the capstan.

"And I find myself disinclined to care." Lightoller replied testily as he maneuvered himself slightly off to Lowe's left side. He placed his elbow into the small of the younger man's back as he grabbed the material of Lowe's jacket and jerked it up and over his backside. He crumpled the material in his left fist and held it out of the way as he used that same arm to keep Lowe from rising.

"Get your hands off me!" Lowe demanded as he pushed himself up onto his forearms. Lightoller allowed him that one little victory but only that.

"You really are making this a lot harder than it needs to be." Lightoller complained as Lowe continued to struggle under his hold.

"Damn you! Let me up now Lightoller!" Lowe hissed as he became more and more frustrated that he couldn't break Lightoller's hold. Suddenly a stinging smack landed against his backside. The shock and subsequent surprise of it was so intense that Lowe instantly stilled.

"That's more like it." He heard Lightoller say behind him. "Next time we'll just start with the smacking and save the talking for later, eh?" Another smack landed with enough force to jerk Lowe slightly forward over the polished brass.

"Ow! You Bastard!" he cried out as Lightoller began swatting his upturned rear repeatedly with something approaching a rhythm. Lowe braced himself as best he could in such a vulnerable position as the swats continued to fall no matter how hard he struggled and shifted. Eventually coming to the unsettling realization that he wouldn't be able to stand up unless Lightoller allowed him, he tried to catch Lightoller's gaze.

"Stop! Please Sir stop! You can't do this!" Lowe begged, some of his earlier disrespect melting away under Lightoller's methodical discipline.

"Oh ho, so now it's _Sir_ again is it?" He mocked as he landed several hard slaps to the top of Lowe's thighs that had the younger man shifting over the capstan and hissing in pain. "Its remarkable how a few smacks to a person's rear can improve their manners. Don't you agree?" Lowe's only response was a low groan as Lightoller continued to firmly thrashed him.

Over and over again the flat of Lightoller's large hand connected against his tender rear end. The smacks sounded loud in Lowe's ears but he knew that the sound was probably being carried away by the wind and covered by the sound of the ever present engines. That meant that he wouldn't have to worry about someone hearing them and discovering them. Lowe was unsure whether he was grateful about that or not.

Lightoller left no part of his backside unscathed and Lowe speculated that the second officer was putting as much force in the swats as he could, based on the sting and how his body jerked forward with each one. After several more desperate attempts to reason with the other man which Lightoller refused to acknowledge, Lowe gave up on talking him out of it and decided to simply wait him out.

Lowe bowed his head and laid his hands flat against the brass top. Lightoller's warm arm across his back was a contrast to the cool metal of the brass he lay across. He could almost see his reflection in the polished surface. Every time he tried to look, a painful swat would force his eyes to clench shut and he would have to search all over again. He quickly gave that up as the pain became harder and harder to ignore.

Lowe refused to cry out but he couldn't stop the hisses and quiet grunts of pain that escaped his lips as he was thoroughly punished. Nor could he help the shifting of his feet or the scrambling of his fingers. This wasn't the first time he had been smacked, but it was definitely the first time he had ever been disciplined in this manner since he became an adult. Never in a million years did he imagine that this would happen to him when he signed on as an officer of the White Star Line, let alone on the most luxurious and grand ship of the company's line. Embarrassed and thoroughly miserable, Lowe covered his face with his hands and hid from the world until this was all over.

 

***************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

It took a moment for Lowe to realize that Lightoller had finally stopped. He rubbed at his eyes for a brief moment before dropping his hands back to the brass surface and sighing in relief. He stared at the capstan's surface as he waited for Lightoller to step away or even say something but the older man did neither. Worried that Lightoller was simply taking a break and would resume at any moment, Lowe twisted as much as Lightoller's restraining arm would allow to catch a glimpse of his face. Lightoller had been waiting for him to do this and the two officers locked eyes.

"Do I have your attention now Mister Lowe?" The older man asked calmly as he rested his stinging hand on Lowe's lower back. Lowe looked away for a moment before meeting his gaze once more.

"Yes Sir." He replied quietly as he shifted his weight against the other officer.

"Then listen closely this time." Lightoller leaned over his back in order to see more of Lowe's face. "I never, NEVER, want to see you needlessly in harms way again. Is that clear?" Lowe was surprised at the vehemence he heard in Lightoller's voice but quickly stowed that observation away for later contemplation.

"Yes Sir, you have my word." He quickly stammered out. He would willingly say anything Lightoller wanted if it meant an end to his humiliation. He felt Lightoller scoff quietly beside him as he patted Lowe's lower back a few times.

"You told me that once before." He said as he released his hold on Lowe with one final pat to his back. He grabbed the younger man by his arm and helped him stand back up and away from the capstan. Lowe quickly brought both hands to his stinging rear and rubbed a few times before he caught Lightoller watching him and quickly dropped his arms to his side in embarrassment.

"That was extremely unpleasant Mister Lightoller." He understated as he kept his eyes locked firmly on the deck between them, too embarrassed to look the other officer in the eye. "Something I never want to experience again." He added with a hint of resentment. Lightoller chuckled softly at his response.

"Yes well, it's supposed to be unpleasant Mister Lowe. That's what makes it such a good deterrent." Lowe grimaced in response. Lightoller chuckled again as he reached into his coat pocket for his watch. He opened it and noted the time before snapping the face closed and returning the gold time piece to his pocket. He looked back up at his miserable officer and took pity on the handsome young man.

"I'm sorry I had to do that old boy but you really left me no choice." Lightoller began as he stepped forward and placed one hand on Lowe's slumped shoulder and ducked his head in order to catch Lowe's gaze from under the brim of his officer's cap. He waited until Lowe met his eyes before continuing.

"I truly meant what I said about losing the flag over you. You're a good officer Mister Lowe, you wouldn't be here now if you weren't. But you're still young and you will make mistakes. Part of my responsibilities aboard this ship is to provide guidance to the junior officers and that includes correcting their mistakes on the rare occasion." Lowe nodded and lifted a hand to his cap to adjust it more comfortably on his head.

"I understand Sir, I really do. I am grateful for your timely assistance and while I wish you had chosen another method of correction..." He punctuated his statement with a subtle rub to his rear, "I am glad to be serving under an officer such as yourself." Lowe could see the relief in Lightoller's eyes with the realization that their working relationship hadn't been irrevocable damaged by this incident. Not that the possibility would have stopped the older officer from preforming his duty, but he was pleased non the less.

"It's late, what say we put this whole mess behind us?" Lightoller asked as he dropped his hand and gestured for Lowe to proceed him. Lowe cast a glance back towards the stern.

"But Sir, the flag..." He began to question as Lightoller placed a hand on his back and gave him a gentle push towards the stairs leading to the well deck.

"...Can wait til tomorrow." Lightoller finished for him as he ushered his junior officer across the deck.

"Yes, of course Sir." Lowe replied as he started down the stairs. It was a long way back to the officer's quarters and it truly was late. His backside still stung and every movement of his clothes caused him further irritation as the material brushed against his sore rear, all thanks to Lightoller. Lowe sighed and cast one more look up at the velvety night sky with it's blanket of scintillating stars. He was grateful that he was still alive to see such a beautiful sight and that too was thanks to Lightoller. The older officer looked over at him before glancing up at the night sky himself.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many stars." Lightoller commented as they made their way across the well deck to the stairs leading to the shelter deck.

"No..." Lowe answered him quietly, "Neither have I."


End file.
